Civil society organizations

UNDP and civil society organizations

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CSO Advisory Committee The UNDP CSO Advisory Committee to the Administrator was set up in 2000 to provide advice to senior management on programme and policy directions, advocacy efforts, and strategic CSO/UNDP initiatives and activities. The Committee, which meets once a year in New York, is composed of civil society leaders from around the world. Click here to view the list of CSO Committee members Based on the experience of the advisory committee at headquarters, some country offices have set up national advisory committees. Botswana was the first to do so (2003), followed by Brazil (2004). UNDP actively promotes and supports civil society advisory committees at the country level as mechanisms for policy advocacy and debate, as well as advice on UNDP policy direction, and a means for UNDP to tap into local knowledge and expertise.

UNDP partners with a wide cross-section of local, regional and global CSOs in programme implementation and policy advocacy across its six thematic areas: Democratic Governance, Poverty Reduction, Crisis Prevention and Recovery, HIV/AIDS, Energy and Environment, and Women's Empowerment. Supporting the capacity development of CSOs is central to this partnership. UNDP also works to strengthen the legal, regulatory, and normative environment in which CSOs function and collect baseline information on CSOs to provide an accurate assessment of their characteristics.

Who do we work with?

CSOs are no longer restricted to the role of service delivery but are increasingly influential in policymaking and performing watchdog functions. Among its potential CSO partners, UNDP includes intermediary non-government organizations (NGOs), cooperatives, trade unions, service organizations, community-based organizations (CBOs), indigenous peoples' organizations (IPOs), youth and women's organizations, academic institutions, policy and research networks, and faith-based organizations. UNDP engages with CSOs that work towards inclusive globalization, promoting accountability, increased political participation and linkages between the grass-roots and the national policy arenas.

How do we work with CSOs?

UNDP has a presence in over 160 countries. Our country offices are normally the first line of contact for many of our national CSO partners. A number of country offices and the UN Country Teams often have appointed civil society focal points. The CSO Division at UNDP headquarters provides policy and advisory support to UNDP staff and engages actively with CSO partners. UNDP also has civil society advisors located in global and regional offices, including the regional centres. Our engagement is mandated and guided through various policy documents and tools, including
UNDP and Civil Society Organizations: A Policy of Engagement.